Max - that looks KILLER! Great photo too, I'm impressed.
So as part of my dinner today, I thought that I'd use up some of the older stuff in my fridge. I had half of a huge cabbage just sitting there, and a bunch of cashew cream from about a week ago that needs using. Now, creamy cabbage is a great comfort food from my youth; usually just sliced cabbage, onions, garlic, lots of salt and pepper, baked in the oven with a silly amount of cream. Well, I wanted something similar, but veganized, and figured that I'd try the cashew cream. Worked wonderfully.
I didn't bake it, however; I pan steamed the sliced cabbage until soft and then cooked it until it just started to brown in the same pan, along with sliced onions garlic, a bit of salt and LOTS of pepper. Mmmm. Then, to finish I added about a cup of heavy (i.e. unfiltered) cashew cream, stirred to combine and let heat through. It was indistinguishable, from my memory at least, to the 'real' deal, and was a heap healthier too.
Vegan stovetop creamy cabbage
1/2 large head of normal, cheap as dirt cabbage, core removed, sliced in half (so, quarters of the whole head) and then sliced into ribbons, as thinly as possible
4-6 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced (not minced or crushed, it'll overcook if to finely cut)
1 medium-large onion, halved and sliced into half moons
olive oil for frying
salt and pepper
cashew cream (directions below)
Start by heating the frying oil, maybe 2 tbsp worth, in the biggest sautee pan/wok you've got, on medium-high heat. Ideally it should have a lid, otherwise it'll take forever to cook the cabbage down. Toss in the cabbage, stir to lightly coat in oil, and let sit until the pan gets warm again. Once the sizzling sound returns, add a heavy pinch (maybe 1 tsp) of salt and 1/4 cup of water to the pan and cover. Let steam for a few minutes, until the cabbage has softened and reduced in volume by about 1/3 to 1/2. This would be a great time to slice your onions and garlic.
Once the cabbage is steamed, remove the lid and let the steam evaporate. Add the onions and garlic, and cook until the cabbage just starts to brown, stirring often. Add the cashew cream, stir to mix, and let heat through. Check for seasoning before serving, piping hot. Goes great as a side dish to a hearty stew, along with a rustic bread or roasted vegetables and potatoes.
Cashew Cream
I can't recall if I've told how to make this, but this is the best substitute for cream in virtually every application that I've tried so far. It's not quite as sweet as dairy cream, but in some applications coconut cream is too sweet. This stuff works wonderfully, and can be easily sweetened for desserts with a little agave/maple syrup.
1 cup raw cashews
lots of fresh water
time
Soak the cashews for at least 4 hours in lots of nice cold water. At least double the volume of nuts should be used. I usually soak them overnight for convenience's sake. After the soaking period has completed, drain the nuts into a colander and rinse very well. Transfer to a high-speed blender (Blend-Tec is best, but I have a little Krups that works well enough, so I'd wager that most decent blenders would do the trick). Blend on the highest setting with a 1:1 volume of fresh water, until smooth and creamy. This is 'heavy' cashew cream, and is good in place of creme fraiche, sour cream (with a splash of lemon for tartness) or heavy cream in all but whipped applications. If you don't have a high-speed blender, there may be a slight gritty texture to the cream. If that bugs you, then you can pass it through a fine sieve to get light cream, which works well as a half-and-half substitute. Or, conversely, you could just dilute with more fresh water to get the consistency needed, and nuts to the grittiness! (if there's even any at all)
So as part of my dinner today, I thought that I'd use up some of the older stuff in my fridge. I had half of a huge cabbage just sitting there, and a bunch of cashew cream from about a week ago that needs using. Now, creamy cabbage is a great comfort food from my youth; usually just sliced cabbage, onions, garlic, lots of salt and pepper, baked in the oven with a silly amount of cream. Well, I wanted something similar, but veganized, and figured that I'd try the cashew cream. Worked wonderfully.
I didn't bake it, however; I pan steamed the sliced cabbage until soft and then cooked it until it just started to brown in the same pan, along with sliced onions garlic, a bit of salt and LOTS of pepper. Mmmm. Then, to finish I added about a cup of heavy (i.e. unfiltered) cashew cream, stirred to combine and let heat through. It was indistinguishable, from my memory at least, to the 'real' deal, and was a heap healthier too.
Vegan stovetop creamy cabbage
1/2 large head of normal, cheap as dirt cabbage, core removed, sliced in half (so, quarters of the whole head) and then sliced into ribbons, as thinly as possible
4-6 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced (not minced or crushed, it'll overcook if to finely cut)
1 medium-large onion, halved and sliced into half moons
olive oil for frying
salt and pepper
cashew cream (directions below)
Start by heating the frying oil, maybe 2 tbsp worth, in the biggest sautee pan/wok you've got, on medium-high heat. Ideally it should have a lid, otherwise it'll take forever to cook the cabbage down. Toss in the cabbage, stir to lightly coat in oil, and let sit until the pan gets warm again. Once the sizzling sound returns, add a heavy pinch (maybe 1 tsp) of salt and 1/4 cup of water to the pan and cover. Let steam for a few minutes, until the cabbage has softened and reduced in volume by about 1/3 to 1/2. This would be a great time to slice your onions and garlic.
Once the cabbage is steamed, remove the lid and let the steam evaporate. Add the onions and garlic, and cook until the cabbage just starts to brown, stirring often. Add the cashew cream, stir to mix, and let heat through. Check for seasoning before serving, piping hot. Goes great as a side dish to a hearty stew, along with a rustic bread or roasted vegetables and potatoes.
Cashew Cream
I can't recall if I've told how to make this, but this is the best substitute for cream in virtually every application that I've tried so far. It's not quite as sweet as dairy cream, but in some applications coconut cream is too sweet. This stuff works wonderfully, and can be easily sweetened for desserts with a little agave/maple syrup.
1 cup raw cashews
lots of fresh water
time
Soak the cashews for at least 4 hours in lots of nice cold water. At least double the volume of nuts should be used. I usually soak them overnight for convenience's sake. After the soaking period has completed, drain the nuts into a colander and rinse very well. Transfer to a high-speed blender (Blend-Tec is best, but I have a little Krups that works well enough, so I'd wager that most decent blenders would do the trick). Blend on the highest setting with a 1:1 volume of fresh water, until smooth and creamy. This is 'heavy' cashew cream, and is good in place of creme fraiche, sour cream (with a splash of lemon for tartness) or heavy cream in all but whipped applications. If you don't have a high-speed blender, there may be a slight gritty texture to the cream. If that bugs you, then you can pass it through a fine sieve to get light cream, which works well as a half-and-half substitute. Or, conversely, you could just dilute with more fresh water to get the consistency needed, and nuts to the grittiness! (if there's even any at all)
yum
